Grain-drier



(No Medel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. WOLOOTT.

GRAIN DRIER. No. 329,422.. Patented Oct. 27,1885.

N. PETERS. PhnkoLllhugnpher. Washlnghm. o. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

A. WOLGOTT.

GRAIN DRIER.

Patented Oct. 2'7, 1885.

N. PETERS. Phmo-Lithagnphan Wnshingwn D. C.

llNTTnn STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

ANSON woLoorT, or WOLOOTI, INDIANA.

GRAIN- DRlER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,422, dated October 27, 1885.

Application filed April 28, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANsoN \VoLoor'r, of \Volcott, in the county of \Vhite and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain Driers and Coolers; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, ref erence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction in grain-driers and grain-coolers; and it consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing the grain receptacle or bin of the drier in section, means for heating the grain in said bin, and means for forcingheated or cold air through the bin, as will be hereinafter described, the section of the bin being taken upon a vertical plane indicated by the line a; 00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the grain-bin, taken upon line x w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View of the lower end of one of the vertical pipes shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the bin of the drier, showing another form of devices for forcing air through the grain. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the bin shown in Fig. 4, taken upon line 00 a: of said figure. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the bin, generally similar to that shown in Fig. 4, showing a somewhat different construction therein. Fig. 7 is a detail section of the lower part of the bin, similar to that shown in Fig. 1, illustrating a modified form of the device, which will be hereinafter described. Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the structure of the bottom of the bin shown in Fig. 7.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, A is a closed bin. B B are a series of perforated air-pipes located in the bottom of the bin, and connected at their ends with a suitable air-trunk, B, supplied from a blower, B, or otherwise. 0 C are a series of vertical perforated pipes lo cated within the bin, and open at their top ends and preferably, but not necessarily, closed at their lower ends. D D are a series of steamcoils located between the tubes 0. E is an airpipe opening into the upper end of the bin, and connected with an exhaust-fan, E, and F Serial No. 163,736. (No model.)

is a spout through which grain is delivered to the bin. The said bin is desirably formed with a hopper-bottom, consisting of two oppositely-inclined Walls, A A, and-is provided with a suitable grain-exit spout, A extending the full width of the bin, and having a gate, A. The air-trunk B is preferably located exterior to the bin, and the pipes B are arranged parallel with and adjacent to the bottom walls, A, and are supported from the latter by means of strips or cradles b.

The vertical air'tubes C may be constructed in any suitable way or form, with perforations for the exit of air, said perforations being of proper size and form to prevent the entrance of grain to the tubes. As herein shown said tubes are provided throughout their entire length with narrow vertical slits c, as clearly shown in the enlarged view Fig. 3. The tubes may be sustained within the bin in any suitable manner, the device herein shown for this purpose consisting of stationary horizontal bars 0, secured to the walls of the bin near the upper and lower ends thereof. The steam heating-coils D are, as shown, constructed in the usual manner, and are connected at their upper ends with a header, D, and at their lower ends witha discharge-pipe, D", the horizontal parts of one ,coil preferably being placed opposite the spaces between the horizontal parts of the adjacent coil, so that the heating effect of the pipes will be more evenly distributed in the grain. This construction is clearly shown in Fig. l.

The pipes 0, although shown as closed attheir lower ends, in order to prevent the direct pass1ge of a part of the air through them instead of through the grain, may in some cases be left open to prevent the accumulation of dust or other light refuse therein; or when the ends are closed they may be perforated, or the caps may be made removable, as shown, so that the lower ends of the tubes may be readily opened for cleansing them.

In the operation of the device constructed as above described the grain placed within the bin is heated by the coils D D, and the moisture or vapor driven from the grain is removed by the currents of air caused to pass through the grain by the action of fans B" and E.

It is sometimes found desirable to heat the air preparatory to its introduction into the lower part of the bin. and economical means are herein shown for this purpose, consisting of an air-jacket, G, placed around the upper part of an adjacent steam-boiler, G, and communicating with the induction-passage]? of the blower B The steam-coils B also are shown as supplied by the exhaust-steam from an engine, H; but said coils may of course be supplied. by live steam from the boiler G, or by steam from any other source of supply.

It is not essential to the operation of the devices described for causing the passage of air through the grain that the steanrheating coils D 1) should be used, inasmuch as air heated by the means abo e mentioned or 0therwise, preparatory to its introduction into the bin, may be employed for suitably heating the grain for driving the moisture therefrom.

For cooling grain within the bin, either after it has been dried by the use of heating-pipes and hot air, or when it is desired to dry slightly moist, or to cool heated grain, cold air may obviously be forced through the bin by the use of the devices above described. Means herein shown for this purpose consist of a cold-air inlet, B, in the induction-pipe B, said inlet being provided with a valve or damper, B and the induction-pipe beingprovided with a valve, 13 between the jacket or heating-chamber G and the cold-air inlet, whereby either hot or cold air may be delivered to the bin, as desired. It is of course obvious that when using the device as acooler the steam would be shut off from the steamcoils D.

Another form of drier embodying the same principles of operation above set forth is shown in Fig. 4, in which, in addition to the series of vertical perforated tubes 0, above described, openat their upper ends, the bin is provided with asecondintermediate series of perforated tubes,'I, connected at their lower ends with the tubes B and closed at their upper ends, the tubes B in this case being imperforate, so that the air delivered through said tubes B may pass into the grain through the perforations in the said tubes I, and, passing through the grain, will enter tubes 0. By this means the air,willobviously be caused with greatercertainty to reach all parts of the mass of grain within the bin, inasmuch as the air will enter one set of tubes, I, and pass out through another set, C.

A slight modification of the construction shown in Fig. 4 is illustrated in Fig. 6, in which the vertical perforated air-pipes I open at their lower ends through the bottom A of the bin and communicate with 'an air-chamber, K, to which the air may be delivered by a suitable fan or blower in the same manner as to the air-trunk B, before described, or otherwise. The said air-chamber is, as shown in said Fig. 6, provided with steam-heating coils L, whichmay be employed with or without the jacketed boiler hereinbefore described, or other devices for this purpose.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 the air-distributing devices of the drier only are illustrated; but it will of course be understood that heating-coils may be used, if desired, in this case in the same manner as in connection with the form of device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the form of the device shown in Fig. 1,

in which the air is delivered to the lower part of the bin only, other means than that shown may obviously be used for delivering air to the interior of the bin-as, for instance, an airchamber may be located beneath the bottom walls of the bin, and the latter may be slitted or perforated for the upward passage of the air. This construction is illustrated in Fig. 7, in which is shown the lower part of a bin constructed as illustrated in Fig. 1, but with sheetmetal bottom walls, A, through which small perforations or slits for the passage of air are formed, as clearly shown in the detail view, Fig. 8. a

An improved construction in the devices for feeding grain to the bin is shown in Figs. 1 and 4, in which the spoutf is made relatively shallow and broad, so as to discharge a thin stream of grain at a point below and opposite the inner end of the exhaust-pipe E, whereby the air drawn from the bin into the said pipe is caused to pass forcibly through the stream of grain falling from the said spout, and thereby operates to remove from the grain dust and other light impurities, and to cool heated grain. V

It is entirely obvious that means other than the blowers or fans shown may be used for forcibly inducing the passage of air through the mass of grain within the bin. A single fan or blower may, for instance, be employed either to exhaust the air from the bin or force it into the latter, with practically the same results of producing an air-current through the grain. It will be observed, also, that inasmuch as the heating effects of the steamcoils upon the air within the grain will tend to produce an upward air-current through the bin a device of practical utility may be made, in which blowers or similar mechanical means for forcing the air are absent. If used with out an exhaust-fan, the top of the bin would of Vices both for forcing air into the bin and for I IO exhausting it therefrom, a construction embracing both of these devices is herein claimed as part of my invention.

An important feature of novelty is embodied in the construction embracing a series of vertical perforated tubes located within a closed bin and opening at their upper ends in the upper part of the latter above the grain therein, in connection with means for producing the air-current through the bin, whereby the air is caused to permeate all parts of the mass of grain, and thoroughly remove the moisture therefrom, and a cheap and simple construction in the parts is at the same time obtained.

Another novel and important feature of this invention is the use of devices described for supplying both hot and cold air to the bin at will, whereby the apparatus may be used either as a drier and cooler or as a cooler alone.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with a closed bin for holding grain, having imperforate side walls and provided with an air-exit opening at its top and with apertures at its lower part for the admission of air to the grain, of a series of vertical perforated air tubes, 0, located within the bin, and opening at their upper ends within the latter, and means for producing an upward air-current through the bin, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a closed bin for holding grain, provided wit-h an air-exit opening at its top and inlet-apertures at its bottom, of a series of vertical perforated tubes, 0, located within the bin and opening at their upper ends within the latter, a second series of vertical air-inlet tubes located between the tubes 0, closed at their upper ends, communicating with the said inlet-apertures at their lower ends, and perforated for the admission of air to the grain, and means for producing an upward current of air through the bin, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANSON WOLGOTT.

Witnesses:

G. CLARENCE POOLE, OLIVER E. PAGIN. 

